So many saw this news article on NBC News last week. And so many people have been re-posting and sharing. Even my parents discussed it with their friends last night at a BBQ on the lake. This morning, text messages were sent with instructions to the group – on how to turn this tracking off!
Is Your Smartphone Tracking Where You Go?
Its not just your smartphone device that is tracking you: So many things in your life have the ability to track us – not just our phones. These are your digital footprints. Various apps also capture tracking details, not just your phone. Think fitness trackers, even Facebook. Digital photos capture more than where the photo was taken, it includes facial recognition/tagging tracking who was with you, dates lat/long, type of device, etc. Today’s connected cars are doing the same thing as your smartphone. And with the latest Wi-fi enabled cars – the car not only tracks where you go, but who is with you.
So the next time you are asked for permission to ‘use your current location, or update your settings so that locations are turned on’; you can reconsider what that really means to your privacy. Is the convenience factor enough of a value exchange for us that you will allow this app to know your location now and later on.
Anything that connects to the internet or has its own GPS tracking has the ability to know where you are and most likely save that information.